Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed broadly relates to the field of computer networks, and more particularly relates to the field of presentation applications for the World Wide Web (the Web).
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet is a global network of computers and computer networks that all linked communicate by virtue of the Internet Protocol (IP). The IP is a packet-based communications protocol. In such protocols the information to be transmitted is broken up into a series of packets (i.e., sets of data) that are encapsulated in a sort of electronic envelope (the packet) including a portion called a header that includes fields for identifying the source of the transmission, the destination, and other information about the information to be delivered to the destination (called the payload). One popular form of communication that uses the Internet is to access the World-Wide Web (WWW or simply, the Web) which uses a protocol called HTTP (HyperText transfer Protocol) by client units for connecting to servers in the Web. A client unit (e.g., a microcomputer unit with a communication subsystem connected to the Internet) invokes the HTTP by simply typing a xe2x80x9chttp://xe2x80x9d prefix with the desired Web address. Once the connection is made to the desired Web site, the user (or client) can access any document stored on that site that is available to that user. The interface used by the client is a Web browser. The browser establishes HyperText links to the subject server, enabling the user to view graphical and textual representations of information. Under the HTTP, a client obtains access to a Web site by transmitting a request (a URL) and receiving a block of data representing a Web page that is interpreted by the client""s browser and rendered to the client.
As the Internet and World Wide Web become the accepted mechanism for providing services on a daily basis, more and more businesses are changing their current methods to network based processes. The Internet has become an efficient and convenient method for delivering off-line, or non-real-time, education, demonstrations, seminars, and other content involving a presenter or leader and a group of recipients. In short, a presentation is prepackaged in any one of a number formats and either static or streaming and then requested by and delivered to a client user who then plays the content. These packages allow interaction in the sense that a user may move forward and backward through the content and other more elaborate variations but, the user is limited to content contained in the package. Moreover, delivering real-time education, demonstrations, seminars or any interactive content involving a presenter and an audience over the Internet also relies on the ability of the presenter to coordinate or synchronize the content delivery with the audience; especially when the audience is made up of a large number of separate sites. Two key ingredients missing from this form of presentation are 1) interaction with the presenter and 2) the dynamic coordination between the presentation of the content and the receipt at the client.
The core of this problem is that the underlying protocol of the World Wide Web, HTTP, requires the client to initiate any transaction with a request. Coordination is awkward at best and often difficult as the presenter must somehow prompt the audience to initiate the request in a synchronized way so that the presentation achieves the impact and effect that the presenter intended. The requests are further complicated due to the entry of data that is often required in a Web application such as user-id, password, address, etc. This coordination becomes difficult if not impossible when the audience is greater than one. Each member of the audience may receive a different impression or understanding of the presentation. In the case of a sales demonstration or education performed over the World Wide Web this becomes unacceptable.
In summary, the current protocols and mechanisms of the World Wide Web are not conducive to providing a presenter complete control over the pacing, execution, and perception of their presentations. Presenters must rely on their audience to help execute a presentation of which they are necessarily ignorant. Accordingly, there is a need for a system for making presentations on the Web which overcomes the above problems.
The invention specifically addresses presentations given over the World Wide Web in which the presenter and the audience members are not physically co-located and each individual or site has access to a web browser. It is expected, although not necessary, that there be some adjunct connection, such as a telephone, to facilitate the audio presentation.
Briefly, a system according to the invention involves two primary elements. The first is a client monitor and the second is the server siphon. Each audience member has a client monitor installed in its Web browser. The presenter executes a Web application in concert with the narration. As each page is requested by the presenter and delivered to his or her browser, the server siphon intercepts the composed Web page and sends copies of it to the attached client monitors. In this way, the presenter can easily coordinate the delivery of a Web page with the narration for maximum effect.